Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandy Bassin.
Sandy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always been the type of person who makes decisions quickly. I knew I wanted to become a doctor and I knew I wanted to start my own private practice so I could decide how I cared for my patients. My calling came when I was in college and watched a documentary called “What the Health”. Not to attack a specific brand, but there I was, thinking I was taking care of myself by drinking Vitamin Water, only to find that I was drinking a glorified soda! The bottle said “Nutrient enhanced, B vitamins, antioxidants”, all the right words, but at the end of the day I was drinking 44% of my daily added sugar and this company is a subsidiary of Coca-Cola! I was a college-student trying to become a doctor and I didn’t even understand the tricks the food industry was playing – they don’t care about our health! I started reading food labels, nutrition facts, and eating more whole foods. REAL foods, like berries, green veggies, chai pudding- and I felt amazing! I had more energy, I could think clearer and I realized how important what we put in ourselves is.
Naturally, this motivated me to become an endocrinologist. A specialty where I get to treat hormone dysregulation and where food and lifestyle play such a pivotal role. I treat conditions like diabetes, obesity, hypothyroidism, PCOS, and menopause. Once I graduated, it was scary to start my own practice- it took time to spread the news about my office, to build up a patient panel, and it was the first time I learned how to manage a front desk and navigating through insurances. I still remember in the beginning sitting on the phone with insurance companies for hours trying to get my patient’s prior authorizations approved because I needed to learn the process before I could teach my front desk.
But I’ve been lucky to have strong mentors and I’ve got wonderful patients, who have all been my best supporters. I’ve been honored that so many of them trust me with their family’s care and the practice has really grown through patient referrals. The initial fear of uncertainty when the office began 1.5 years ago is fading and the future is exciting. Since this is my own practice, I have the freedom to care for patients how I see fit and developed my own style as a doctor. I like to meet patients where they are at and focus on lifestyle and supplements first, before jumping to medications. It’s amazing to see how things like eating cleaner, detox saunas, and supplements which tackle the body’s response to insulin can improve some people’s quality of life!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’m very optimistic- of course there are hiccups in everyone’s journey, but I have a great support network and every challenge is something I’ve learned from. The uncertainty when I first launched my private practice was scary. I graduated from medical training, where I spent 13 years being given my working schedule and next steps, to having a blank slate in front of me and no clarity in whether patients would want to see me or if I had the business acumen to run an office. On top of that, I was doing this with a 5-month old, learning the patience and dedication required to be a parent (Let me just say I now have so much more respect and gratitude towards all parents). There were days when I only saw one or two patients, or went in hopefully to introduce myself at a physician’s office and no one was interested in meeting me. Meditation and yoga have been my avenues of managing stress, and reminding myself that these temporary moments are just waves in my life, which is the deep and calm ocean, has helped me reframe and move forward.
We’ve been impressed with Bassin Endocrinology, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Bassin Endocrinology is an endocrine practice which sees patients with diabetes, obesity, thyroid conditions, PCOS, menopause, and other hormonal conditions.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is happiness. Sure it can get exhausting at the end of the week, but I come into work enthusiastic -I love working with people to improve their health. I already believe my practice is successful because while it may currently be a small radius of impact, I know my staff and I have built a compassionate office that has helped people heal. The question really is, how large can we expand this to be?
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sandybassinmd.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantbased.endo/
